Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-09
\ COIL OF WIRE.
How IL Is Made From what il Technically
Known a. "Bloom."

. ~#H..E. sH.H'..'f'if ID. ..'a taf...'.''-
PuTSErEG, June t.
How are large cakes or Jumps OF steel
made into tine wire The process Is inter
estipg How do the steel blooms become
finely polished wire: The manufacture Is
pe.iiiar. The bloom, rs we follow 1t IN
/ the wire factory. is first cut into bll!etS
some twenty inches long and four inches
suuarr, Thesg are brought rel hot from
| the furnaces and slipped between the rolls.
Z Ina moment the billet at steel becomes 4
stout iibcry serpent. \ man ut the Oppo-
site side OF the nipS II around the neck with
his topys and slips its head between the
next and smaller pair OF rolls, so that De
[ fore the tail of the rel serpent has elnerged
| from between the larger rolls. the head mas
/ been squeezed toSma,ler dimensions IN the
second rolls The same process Is repeated
AGAIN after the rod has passed through the
second roll. workman being ready To seize
the serpent. twist his body around and let
its head be caught by the third roll. Thus
IL il naSScd on, each time becoming longer
and thinner, and the billet, after passing
through eighteen rolls, becomes a wire rou.
As the rod passes through the last roll II
Is conveyed through a pipe three inches III
circumference. As IL wrlggleS out OF the
nine i'm twisted form it IL thrown across
Inc iron floor OF the factory ar wire mili.
The rolls are kept constantly nj work, Tor
one rod has no sooner passed through the
first roll than another enters 1t, and rs the
roll crows in length one end may be pass
ing out across the floor while the other Is
ha!i.a-iozeu rolls in the rear. Thus 1t
twists its dull red thread-lIkc length Ike
4 serpent i'm and ont Of the rolls, often
near the ankles OF the workmen ready with
their TOMS to guide it onward in its tie
vious wiudiugs. When the rod Is Al last
spun out upon the floor, the end is taken mp
and twisted upon a reel, which rapidly
winds il into a coil.
After the rod, leave the blooming
mill" they are taken to the wire mill,
where they are hung around wooden
blocks, perhaps half u dozen coils on each
block. which are lowered into huge tubs
OF Sulphuric acid, and allowed TO remain
there until the acid has removed the I'M
puritIeS from the surface. The blocks are
then raised by pulley, and the rods are
thrown upon the floor and washed with
the nose. Nlu- 'ttiI l''t''S' Oll q '''NT
and dried. one end ct each rod is pc inted
hy a revolving machine 50 aS to pass into
the die which is to draw the rods into
wire Having been removed To the wire
blocks, the rods are then drawn hy being
passed through tapcrinG hole in steel
die.
The steel roll, having thus been trans
formed into wire, is taken to the aunealng
furnace. where it is annealed and polished
by secret process. The wire, which has
hitherto been ola dull brown color, is Civ
en- a bright polish by the aunealing, and
the cleaning which IL attcTward receives.
Having been removed to the "alyaniZIng
house the wire Is run over series OF
wheels and slides which stretch it from
the floor horizontally. and, working auto
matlcally. dips the wire IN lime every
time It reaches the floor. In galyanizlng
the process consists ct the wire passing
through a solution Of murjItIC acid and
gravel. next through = drying furnace, aud
afterward through metal bath of zinc.
The wire next passes Il "wipiug box, I'LL.
eel with mineral wool which is agItatcd By
a number OF rollers. This substance wipes
olrthe surplus zine aud hcStowS upon the
wire a smooth surface. The long line ct
wire. which now has bright, silvery APP
pearance. is then bundled upin reels ready
for the market, each reel weighing about
loo pounds. W. VI. L.